Call centres & BPOs losing young staff to fast growing aviation, retail, hospitality sectors

Till recently the most sought after career options, BPOs and call centres are no longer a first choice for the urban youth due to uncertainties...

Till recently the most sought after career options, BPOs and call centres are no longer a first choice for the urban youth due to uncertainties, job insecurity, stringent working conditions and and the emergence of greener pastures in new sectors like aviation, hospitality and retail. The BPO sector, now experiencing 25 to 30 per cent attrition rates, may face the toughest challenge of managing with 30 to 40 per cent shortages of trained manpower in the next two years.

According to a study by industry chamber Assocham, Urban Youths: New Emerging Choices for Career Making, aviation, hospitality and retail too are currently experiencing 25-30 per cent work force shortages. This situation has created abundant opportunities for urban youths in these sectors.

Releasing the report, ASSOCHAM president Venugopal N Dhoot said, “A majority of 12th standard pass-outs, who used to earlier seek livelihood opportunities in BPOs and call centres, are now curious to join other leisurely yet attractive areas of animation, journalism, designing (apparel, jewellery), entertainment, aviation, hospitality and retail.”

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The factors that influence youngsters to explore career options in these new areas are pay packages that are more ‘attractive and definite’ and better incentives than call centres and BPOs. Secondly, working conditions and lifestyles seem to be much more moderate and regulated in areas like aviation, hospitality, retail and animation, Dhoot added.

According to estimates in the report, in Delhi and the national capital region (NCR) alone over 250 institutions are carrying out training programmes and courses in aviation, hotel & hospitality, retail management, animation, designing and journalism.

The aviation sector will be able to lure the maximum number of students in view of the fast growth being seen in domestic and overseas travel, which is growing at 30 per cent per annum, and will create over 2 lakh jobs by 2012. The industry is expected to add 140 airlines to the current fleet of 270, which would create the need for a large pool of skilled professionals, especially for flight dispatchers, cabin crew, airline managers, airport managers etc.